Module Identifier SP33120  
Module Title THE SPANISH TRADITION  
Academic Year 2006/2007  
Co-ordinator Dr Rosa Vidal Doval  
Semester Semester 2  
Pre-Requisite Eligibility for entry to Level 3 Spanish  
Mutually Exclusive SP23120  
Course delivery Lecture   10 x 1-hour lectures  
  Seminars / Tutorials   10 x 1-hour seminars  
  Workload Breakdown   Lecture and seminar attendance - 20 hours; lecture and seminar preparation (research and reading) - 100 hours; essay research and preparation - 45 hours; text commentary research and preparation - 35  
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Exam2 Hours written examination.60%
Semester Assessment Continuous assessment: 1 x 2,000-word essay.15%
Semester Assessment Continuous assessment: 1 x 1,500 to 2,000-word comparative textual commentary. (This is the assessment element which differentiates SP33120 from the Level 2 equivalent SP23120, since a comparative textual commentary is a substantially more demanding exercise. In addition, different essays will be set for Level 3 students.)15%
Semester Assessment Seminar performance.10%
Supplementary Exam2/3 Hours 1 x 2-hour examination if continuous assessment submitted. 1 x 3-hour examination if no continuous assessment submitted.100%

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Have an improved knowledge and understanding of the literature and culture of the Spanish Renaissance and Golden Age;
2. Enter critical debates concerning the works considered in the course;
3. Have an awareness of the impact of the works in the development of Spanish literature;
4. Show familiarity with the key methods and critical tools employed by scholars to study late medieval and early modern literature;
5. Be acquainted with a variety of literary genres and have developed their interpretative skills accordingly;
6. Engage critically with a wide variety of scholarly material including monographs and specialised articles;
7. Present their findings in a logical, organised and scholarly fashion both orally - through debates and presentations - and in written form - through essays and text commentaries.
8. Compare texts and analyse the differences and parallels between them. (This is the learning outcome which differentiates SP33120 from the Level 2 equivalent SP23120.)

Aims

The module provides an overview of the literature of Renaissance and Golden Age Spain. It introduces students to the study of late medieval and early modern literature and the specific skills associated with it. It provides an understanding of these texts in their historical context and of their impact in the development of Spanish literature.

Brief description

This course studies three of the main texts of the Renaissance - Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea, also known as La Celestina - and the Golden Age - Novelas ejemplares and El burlador de Sevilla. The texts present some of the most famous characters in Spanish culture - Celestina and Don Juan - and are representative of developments in Spanish literature of the time.

Content

The module is structured around the study of three texts:
1. Fernando de Rojas, La Celestina: Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea (La Celestina)
2. Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Novelas ejemplares
3. Tirso de Molilna, El burlador de Sevilla
The texts will be considered in terms of their genre and literary and historical contexts.

Module Skills

Problem_solving Selection of reading material; answering questions posed by written assessment; seminar work.  
Research skills Preparation of written assessment; preparation for seminars.  
Communication Oral communication developed in seminars; written communication developed in assessments and exam.  
Improving own Learning and Performance Students will be able to assess their own progress week by week through their increased understanding of the issues raised and the skills developed.  
Team work Debates and group presentations in seminars.  
Information Technology Use of on-line journals; delivery of course materials and information via email and e-learning system.  
Application of Number N/A  
Personal Development and Career planning Acquisition of transferable skills; in-depth acquaintance with literature as an academic subject.  
Subject Specific Skills Acquisition of late medieval and early modern Spanish vocabulary.  

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 6